A better therapeutic effect with spheroids?

A better therapeutic effect with spheroids?

In many cases the main reason for the use of pellets in the manufacture of products is for its controlled release properties. However there are reasons to believe that pellets or spheroids in any case can offer a superior therapeutic effect even when modified release is not the prime objective.

Alternative terms for pellets or spheroids might include the following depending on the type of industry, be it pharmaceutical, catalyst, ceramic, chemical engineering and food:

Able to provide the ability to mix pellets with different release rates

but also are.....

Easy to coat

A convenient way to manage the separation of incompatible drugs

products with a reduced risk of dose dumping

products with a reduced risk of local irritation in gastro-intestinal tract

products with less variable bioavailability

because particles < 1 mm behave more like liquids in terms of gastric emptying

and they distribute evenly over the gastro-intestinal tract

This has led to EMEA regulation CPMP/QWP/604/96 that states ....(in part)

“The development of single unit non-disintegrating dosage forms is discouraged since their residence time in the stomach is unpredictable and in general longer than disintegrating dosage forms with multiple units of pellets. Therefore, such single unit non-disintegrating dosage forms are liable to a higher risk of dose dumping.”